Meghalaya HC constitutes High-Powered Committee over highway widening project
The High Court took up the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which centres around cutting/felling of trees (some of which are of considerable heritage) to widen the National Highway 40 connecting Shillong to Dawki (commonly referred to as Shillong-Dawki road), particularly near the Eastern Air Command (EAC).
The Division Bench of the Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday has constituted a 5 (five) member High-Powered Committee (HPC) before it makes any observation or pass a final order on the PIL concerning the felling of trees for road widening along the Upper Shillong route.
The High Court took up the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which centres around cutting/felling of trees (some of which are of considerable heritage) to widen the National Highway 40 connecting Shillong to Dawki (commonly referred to as Shillong-Dawki road), particularly near the Eastern Air Command (EAC).
The Court observed, “While the issue concerns public interest at large, before we proceed to make any observation or pass any final order, a 5 (five) member High-Powered Committee (HPC) is hereby constituted, which will look into the specific grievances as sought to be highlighted in the instant PIL.”
“A comprehensive report shall be submitted by the HPC on the next date, after conducting a thorough and detailed enquiry regarding the issue as highlighted and upon inspection of the actual site. It will be open to the HPC to suggest before to this Court viable means to resolve the highlighted issue raised in the instant PIL without compromising either with conservation of the trees (some of which are of considerable heritage) and environment on one hand and development/expansion of the road project on the other,” the Court stated.
The 5 (five) member High-Powered Committee shall constitute of the following members:- Amit Kumar, learned Advocate General; Kaustav Paul, learned Senior Advocate, who is appearing in-person in the instant P.I.L, a representative of the Forests & Environment Department, Government of Meghalaya at Shillong; A representative of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd and a member of public Jiwat Vaswani @ Bablu.
The matter will be listed three weeks hence for further consideration.
(Edited by Christopher Gatphoh)
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